Friday, October 30, 2009

Good morning, all! Last post before I head to Detroit for the weekend, so let's get to some stuff I missed! I'd have told you guys about these stories yesterday, but with so many concerts this weekend, they'd get lost in the shuffle. So, here's some more news and updates to lead you guys into Halloween weekend!

Great stuff so far, but I'll hold my full criticism until early December, when I properly review "The Green Album"! I'll show you guys one of the songs on here, so check out "And I Am Pining (For You)"!

Next up, more Kiss stuff! It just keeps coming back, doesn't it? First, if you were on SooToday on Wednesday, you probably noticed an article about local businessman Ted Brooks, who managed to buy 72 (Count em, 72) Kiss tickets for the December 15th show! How, you ask? Well, he owns Easy Express, who have a luxury suite at The Essar Center. Suite owners get dibs on 16 tickets if they want them. Adding to that, presales through the Kiss Army fanclub had a glitch that allowed people to buy tickets past the set limit of 4 until sold out by refreshing the page constantly. Brooks joined the Kiss Army and did just that, then picked up 8 more through Eventful's pre-sale for Kiss demanders. I expect people would complain that some businessman messed with the system to steal tickets from real Kiss fans, but he was not the only one who discovered this glitch, and he actually resold all of his tickets at the original sale price. I just hope the people who bought them from Ted Brooks aren't all just fellow businessmen who aren't really fans of Kiss.

The same article points out that through a search of online ticket sites finds that at least 8 ticket sites are selling tickets for the Sault Ste. Marie Kiss show, with no listed tickets going for cheaper than $156 (which is $56.50 higher than they SHOULD cost.) Before you go insane, a crosscheck of the sites found that there's only 172 unique tickets available, so maybe it wasn't as big of a deal as people made it sound? Also, SooToday has ran two polls in the last week gauging public opinion on the ticket sales for the Kiss show. In the first poll from Monday, 53.63% of people say the Kiss ticket sales were "totally unfair", while yesterday's poll found that 66.58% of people's opinions haven't changed about Kiss because of this issue. I agree that more tickets should have been released to the arena, but that's not my call, that's Kiss' and AEG Live's. At least most people don't hate Kiss over it!

Finally, Elaine Della-Mattia from The Sault Star ran an article on Wednesday about the debate over whether councillors should give their reserved Kiss tickets back for public sale, as per the request of Mayor Rowswell, and buy their own. Councillors are split on the issue, though 7 councillors (Susan Myers obviously being one) aren't even planning on going. Most are likely giving theirs back, though at least two councillors are going to used the reserved tickets anyway. Read the full article at this location! What say you guys?

And lastly for today, time to quash a rumour. According to former Algoma Conservative MP candidate Ron Swain, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was going to (get this) attend the Halloween community event in Bruce Mines tonight that will be featuring local metal guitarist Tym Morrison as one of the performers! The news release from Swain said that Harper and his guests would dress as their political opponents. Now this looked kinda fake as it was, but Harper's deputy press secretary has shot down this report (article here), saying that it's 100% not true. The prime minister will actually be carving pumpkins tonight at his home. Well, it's too bad it's not real, cause it'd be awesome to know that Tym Morrison played live for the prime minister, but it seemed fake to me from the start!

That's all for now, I don't know if I'll have too much in terms of updates for later today or tomorrow, but I will definitely be back Sunday night! In the meantime, please attend some of the concerts this weekend! Lots of great bands playing in Sault Ontario and Sault Michigan, I wanna hear that there's huge crowds at all of them! I wish I could go, so rock out for me! Get full details on this weekend's metal concerts on the post below! Thanks everyone, I'll be back soon!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Well guys, it's the big weekend! Seven Sault-area metal concerts are scheduled this Halloween weekend, and now's the time where I'll tell you all you need to know about them! This'll be a long one, so let's get started right away with previews of this weekend's four shows in Sault Michigan! (Remember, for my review of Fitswitch's "Rust Angel E.P.", check the post immediately below!)

I initially was gonna report on shows featuring Nixxon Dixxon this weekend at Kewadin Casino, but looking at their MySpace page, it looks like that they're actually in St. Ignace this weekend. Not sure when that changed, but hey, I hope the shows go well! Besides, they'll be at Dondee Lanes next weekend, you'll get more chances after that to see them too!

So instead, let's begin with two shows this weekend at The Satisfied Frog! Local hard rock band Shift will be there tomorrow night and Saturday night! They will be joined by rising young locals Intrepid, who formed & gained local attention through Shift guitarist Joey Beairl's Summer Rock Camp! These shows will both begin at 10:00 PM tomorrow night! No word on admission prices. These should be good shows, Intrepid are very talented for their age! Check out Intrepid at this location, and some live videos of Intrepid at guitarist Donnie Hank's YouTube channel! As for Shift, these are the last shows listed on their MySpace tour schedule, so this is as good a time as ever to see them, cause who knows when they'll be back at The Frog! Check out more from Shift on MySpace, and for a preview, here's a video clip of the band covering the Linkin Park song "One Step Closer"!

Meanwhile, at The Bird, a new local band will return to the stage! Riot! By Night (featuring 3/4ths of fellow locals Absolute) will be playing there tomorrow and Saturday at 10:00 PM too! I initially reported that they'd be joining Absolute for this show, but Absolute have since removed the shows from their MySpace page, so it looks like they just switched bands. Now, I can't comment on how Riot! By Night sound, they have no audio or video posted anywhere, but if Absolute are any indication, they should do a great job this weekend! Check out more from Riot! By Night at this location! If you're in Sault Michigan this weekend, try to check out both bands if you can!

And now, we'll head back to Sault Ontario for three more big shows! And kicking things off tomorrow night is a big Devil's Night concert at The Oddfellows Hall! Your headliners are Sudbury deathcore band Upheaval Of An Exorcist, playing their first Sault area show (to my knowledge) since this past March with Carnifex! From what I've heard, frontman Kyle Blake will be back with Upheaval for this show, so that should please a bunch of you! And for the openers, it's a collection of some of the brightest local bands around! Garden of Bedlam and Bring The Fallen, fresh off their show at The Canadian two weekends ago, will be playing support! Also to be featured are local band The Fury, replacing bassist Josh McNally's other band, Out Of The Mouth Of Babes! Reminder: North Bay's Inflict are NO LONGER on this show due to failure to recieve some guarantees from the promoters.

Admission is $10, you can buy tickets at the door, it is all ages, and the doors open at 7:00 PM tomorrow night! Get full details at the official Facebook event page! All of the bands playing tomorrow have loads of talent, click on each of their names to check out their original material! I know some of you are disappointed that Inflict aren't playing, but why not go anyway, it'll be a good time! The Fury, though not "metal", also have loads of promise, and a unique sound! Garden of Bedlam and Bring The Fallen? They're both amazing local metal bands, and well worth checking out, take my word for it! And for a preview of this show, here's one of Upheaval of an Exorcist's songs, "Gray Skies"! Awesome seeing them back in Sault Ste. Marie, hopefully there's an awesome crowd!

And now, we come to Halloween night! And for you local metal fans, there's a tough choice, as there's two great concerts lined up on Saturday! First, we'll head to Coch's Corner, where three bands will be featured for not just any Halloween party, but THE Halloween party! Your headliners are a brand new local band named Frightlight, who feature former Fitswitch members J.D. Pearce, Rick White, and Larry Mousseau in their lineup! But if you're expecting this to be just a Fitswitch reunion, you're way off. Frightlight are based around horror movies, playing horror movie songs and they have a horror movie-themed stage show planned! They sound very promising, check out more from Frightlight at this location!

The other two bands include local hard rockers Half Past, playing their first show since DECEMBER, when they were still known as Fingerbone! As such, this will be their first show featuring new frontman Luke LeBlanc and with Arthur Lacasse on bass instead of guitar. Great band, they play lots of great covers, and have recently began working on original material! Nice to see them back on the local scene! The other band, I know little about. They're called "Glamoween", and are supposed to be a glam rock tribute band. Half Past guitarist Alain Fletcher told me that he heard that the band was comprised of members of other local bands (I wouldn't be surprised if there's some Dirty Virgin members in Glamoween), but I can't verifiably prove anything else. If you can help me out at all, e-mail me at robfigures@hotmail.com!

This concert is at 10:00 PM on Halloween night! Unlike most shows at Coch's Corner, there will be a cover charge, but it's only $4, and will be well worth it! And yes, it's 19+ (it is at a bar, after all.) Get full details on this show at this location! For a preview, seeing as I have no Frightlight videos yet, here's a clip of Half Past performing one of their brand new originals, "Dead Again", from a recent jam session!

And finally, some great hard rock bands will hit....Top Hat Billiards? Lemme explain. This show was to originally take place at the soon-to-reopen Foggy Notions. However, the bands jumped the gun in promoting it before Foggies would be ready to be opened, so it got cancelled, and the bands moved it to Top Hat! Not sure how it will work as a concert venue, but we'll have to see! Your headliners are local hard rockers Sense of Truth, playing their first local show since the Garden of Bedlam CD release show in July! They're a great band, lots of great originals and solid covers! Check them out on MySpace! They will be supported for this show by a very good local Rage Against The Machine cover band named Renegades, featuring Sykotyk Rampage bassist Brian Cattapan and ex-Driving Dave Home drummer Steve Brogno! You may remember them as "Dysfunkshunal Kemistry" from the recent Sykotyk Rampage show at The Outback!

Your cover charge is just $3, which is nice and affordable! This show will take place at 10:30 PM Saturday night, and as a reminder, Top Hat Billiards is across the road from The Lock City Grand Theater on Queen Street East! Should be a great show, get full details on Facebook! For a preview, here's a video clip of Sense of Truth from last year's Battle of The Bands at The Speakeasy, playing their original song, "Everything Explodes"!

So there's all the local metal concerts I know of this weekend! Hopefully now you guys have a good idea of what to expect! And for the Saturday shows, make sure to have your costumes and get in the Halloween spirit! Sadly, I can't make any of these shows. My Detroit trip is this weekend, which is just horrible timing. If I wasn't going away, I would definitely be at the Upheaval of an Exorcist concert and one of the Halloween night shows in Sault Ontario, you have my word! I'm doing my part though, I'm telling everyone I know and previewing each show as much as I can! I wanna see huge energetic crowds at all the shows this weekend, cause all the bands and promoters deserve it!

That's all for today, I believe I'll have a tiny post tomorrow morning to cover any leftover news before I hit the road. That will mark my 18th post on the SMS in 16 days! Thanks to all the news lately, there's been no shortage of updates, which is awesome! Stay tuned tomorrow, thanks everyone! GO SEE SOME CONCERTS THIS WEEKEND AND SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC!!!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

It's CD review time on the SMS! After a lot of questions over what I'd review, it came to the end of the month and I don't have any of the albums I'd mentioned in the past yet. Soon though, I promise! So when I was debating a new album to review, I figured I should tie it in with this weekend's stacked lineup of concerts. And seeing that three members of a brand new local band playing this weekend were in a local metal band with an album, I figured now's as good a time as ever! So this month, I'm reviewing "The Rust Angel E.P." by inactive local punk/metal band Fitswitch!

Released in (I believe) 2005, "The Rust Angel E.P." was Fitswitch's only official album released, though it was a limited edition, so only 40 copies were put out. The lineup that recorded this album included current Frightlight bandmates J.D. Pearce on vocals, Rick White on lead guitar, and rhythm guitarist Kevin Powe, alongside former Scary Uncles bassist Andrew MacDonald and original Frightlight drummer Larry Mousseau. I was worried that, with the limited release of the E.P., I may never find a copy, but huge kudos to Kevin Powe for hooking me up with one! Scattered songs are available online on various Fitswitch internet pages, but the whole album is nowhere to be found that I know of. So, with the best possible intent, I uploaded the album to YouTube! After all, what's the point in reviewing something only 40 people own when most people don't have access to it? If you want to hear all the songs on "The Rust Angel E.P.", click here, or click on each song's name as you read the review! NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED! Seven songs to review, let us begin! (Updated on September 28th, 2012)

The first song on the E.P. is "12 Steps", and it begins with some kinda chant-like vocals from J.D. that will no doubt get the crowd singing along! One thing I noticed is that the singing is really loudly mixed compared to the instruments, but don't let that detract from the music if you can help it! Nice riffing, drumming is solid, it has a nice punk sound with a heavy metal edge, and it works well! I like the guitar a lot, good solo and some interesting use of pinch harmonics! Kinda repetitive though. A great song to get a crowd going, but the best is yet to come!

"My Own Sickness" is next, and I love the opening! Starts off unassuming enough, but then some great guitar soloing kicks in! Nice surprise start to the song! Vocals are better mixed on this one, J.D.'s got a very good punk voice, raw and heavy, perfect for what the band plays! Not as repetitive as "12 Steps", the shorter length helps with that though. Better song overall too, as evidenced by the speed and the general heaviness! Plus, another great guitar solo near the end too! My absolute favourite song on the E.P., it was always a joy to hear Fitswitch play this live!

The third song is "Teabag", which is a slower song, yet shorter too. With better production, this could fit well on a rock radio station. It's good, and pretty catchy, I'd be tempted to sing along if I knew the lyrics! Nice chugging guitars. The song sounds straight-to-formula, no guitar solo, and J.D.'s singing is better suited to heavier and faster material. Good, but not the standout of the album. Following that, we have the album's title track, and the only Fitswitch original to become a regular Frightlight track, "Rust Angel"! Interesting opening, it reminds me of a surfing kinda band (if that makes sense), and that flavour follows throughout the song. Funky, but not in a bad way. It's different, not especially heavy, but not horrible either. Riffs are light, but still "rock"...it's hard to describe, I don't listen to a lot of "surf" type songs. Easily the most unique of the songs on the E.P., I dig it, but I'm missing the heaviness and raw edge of the first two tracks.

Luckily, things get back to normal with the next song, "March Of 1,000 Corpses", which sounds similar for the opening songs, but the vocals sure are different! Whoever's doing the verses sure isn't J.D., they have a higher pitched aggressive style, which caught me a bit off guard! It's probably Rick or Kevin, either way, they're not bad for supporting vocals! J.D. sings the chorus in a more reserved, almost clean vocal style. Interesting trade-off! The song has some great soloing, and the second singer chimes in by chanting "LEFT! RIGHT!" repeatedly (as in, for the march of the corpses.) Another good excuse to get the crowd involved! Solid song, different enough to stand out, and heavy enough to satisfy punk and metal fans!

That was the E.P.'s longest song, but things get shorter and more to the point from here! "Only Wanna Be With You" is the sixth track, and in my opinion, is the most punk-sounding of the tracks! No real "metal" to speak of here. That being said, it's pretty good! Nice solo as well, though I'm more partial to the ones in "My Own Sickness"! Punk fans will especially like this song, though if you're looking for some heavy riffs and angry vocals, this won't be the song you wanna hear. Even still, I like it! The album closes with "Bitch Anthem", which, at 2:43, is the E.P.'s shortest song. Another more punk-sounding song, but it has loads of aggression, particularly thanks to the screaming of "FUCK YOU BITCH" repeatedly through the song! The two singers alternate saying that and singing the song, and it works well! Again, another song that will get the crowd singing along! Nonstop hard hitting punk/metal, a great way to end the E.P.....or so we thought! As it turns out, there's two bonus tracks! Not sure how they were hidden on the original disc, but they were there, and I'll review them for you guys too!

One was a cover of The Misfits' song "When Eagles Dare"! Fitswitch always drew a lot of influence from The Misfits (even using their font in band pics/logos), and it shows with how well they pull this cover off! Sounds very close to the original song, if anything, I can make out the instruments better! J.D. sounds at ease singing the song, and any Misfits fan should appreciate this cover, as do I! The second bonus track is (curiously) a cover of "Rock You Like A Hurricane" by The Scorpions! I don't think this was the best song for them to cover, but if their goal was to cover an 80s metal song and make it sound like one of their originals, they succeeded! However, this song is really where the production quality suffers. On high volume, things sound a bit distorted at times. The band do a good job, but no offense at all, I prefer the original, mostly for the production quality.

Overall, I do like "The Rust Angel E.P.", it has that punk/metal sound down very well, and there's some really good songs! Rick and Kevin are solid throughout on guitar, Andrew's bass is good as well, dependable and heavy. Larry's great on drums, can't complain there! However, it's not perfect by any means, mostly from the production quality. But hey, it works for the songs, gives some of them a more raw punk feel. Trust me though when I say this: You haven't heard these songs properly until you've seen Fitswitch live, hopefully they'll have another reunion show down the road! Also, and maybe it's just the metalhead in me, but I wish some songs were heavier and angrier. Overall though, it accomplishes what it's supposed to, and I like it. There's room for improvement, but I would definitely buy it as it stands today! Now, here's hoping for a reunion in the future, and lasting success for Frightlight!

Another month down, another CD reviewed! So, what's being reviewed in November? By all realistic accounts, it will be Stillbroke's debut album, "Never Enough"! I should have it before I get "Woods IV: The Green Album", which will likely be reviewed in early December as long as releases aren't held up. "22" by Sykotyk Rampage will probably be a 2010 review now, but it'll be worth the wait! Stay tuned for more updates as I get them, cause the Stillbroke review could be any day now! That's all for now, stay tuned tomorrow for this weekend's HUGE local concert previews post!

Before anyone asks, yes, the CD review is coming later today! I'm at LSSU, the album ain't here with me. But I have some news items to get out of the way! This may be shorter than my posts have been lately, but with NINE local metal shows to preview tomorrow, I have no room to slot in these stories then. So, let's begin for today with...

Also, here's an update to this Friday's metal show at The Oddfellows Hall! The promoters have finally confirmed that Inflict are no longer playing. But, there's another lineup change! Local hardcore band Out Of The Mouth Of Babes are no longer on this show either. In their place is local band The Fury, who should deliver a good crowd! I believe Out Of The Mouth Of Babes frontman' is Fury bassist/singer Josh McNally, so that might interest some of you who aren't sure of the change! Other than the lineup changes, everything else is still the same! Get full details for this show at this location! I won't go into too much detail of the show as a whole right now, we'll save that for tomorrow's preview post!

And finally, I apologize for missing this, but local metal guitarist Tym Morrison will be in Bruce Mines on Friday night for a Halloween Community event at their Town Hall, but this somehow slipped me by for news this month. Bruce Mines is a bit too far to call as a "local concert", but hey, if you wanna go see Tym live, head down Highway 17, he'll put on a good show! Also, notice the new banner image? Time to get ready for Papa Roach at Kewadin Casino, they'll be there on Monday night! The logo on Facebook has been changed too! What you guys think?

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

It's official: October 2009 is now the busiest month in the 10 month history of this blog! This is the 14th official post in the last 13 days too! Lots of stuff to share, including a pile of news/information concerning Kiss' show here in December, and updates coming out of Sunday's Grady concert! But first, a new song from an upcoming album has been unveiled!

Woods of Ypres have officially unveiled another new song from their upcoming release, "Woods IV: The Green Album"! Entitled "Wet Leather", it's the fourth new song (to my knowledge) that's been posted online, and will be track 7 on the album! I'm detecting a Type O Negative influence in this song, and I'm not alone in thinking this! It's a very solid track, you can check it out immediately below! Thanks to Woods frontman David Gold for uploading it to YouTube!

Remember, there are THREE other songs from "Woods IV" online! Tracks 3 & 17 from the album can be heard in full on Stereo Soul Studios' official website, while "Everything I Touch Turns To Gold, Then To Coal" can be checked out in Part 1 of the "Gojira/Woods of Ypres" episode of The Governor's Ball, which you can download at this location! The song begins around 37 minutes in! I love what I've heard so far, I'm gonna send my pre-order out to David's place today!

Next up, it's back to discussing Kiss! We're not gonna be done with regular Kiss news and updates for a while, I fear. But hey, there's some interesting stuff to share! Remember how I said that The Sault Star had some Kiss articles coming? Well, I'd have had these for you sooner, but their "server was too busy" the last couple days. No matter, I have them for you guys now!

And first, here's a hypothetical idea to run by you all: What if there was a giant video wall in the parking lot of The Essar Center to broadcast the Kiss concert live to people without tickets? Essar Center events manager Trevor Zachary is interested in doing just that! Now this is all preliminary, nothing is set (or even proven to be feasible), but they're checking to see the logistics of having a big screen Kiss concert simulcast! Zachary was quoted as saying that they were "going to try to exhaust all angles to try and get everyone to take advantage of this show". What say you guys? I say it's no substitute for the real live concert experience, but it'd be cool seeing them on a big screen! Check out Brian Kelly's Sault Star article on this very subject at this location!

Meanwhile, distaste over the Kiss tickets selling out hasn't entirely went away. But maybe this will put things in more perspective, so you don't blame The Essar Center. 400 tickets were pre-sold by Rock 101. Eventful had 1,000 tickets on pre-sale for people who demanded that Kiss come here. Kiss had 1,500 tickets reserved for members of the Kiss Army. More seats yet are reserved for people who pay for the premium/VIP packages. AEG Live (Kiss' concert promoter) are the ones responsible for where Kiss ticket priorities lie, The Essar Center screwed no one. Besides, they say not to give up, for more tickets may be released! In another article from The Sault Star's Brian Kelly, more tips for Kiss fans to get tickets have been suggested. For example, premium/VIP seats not bought may be released to the general public, more side stage seats may be opened up, and The Essar Center are trying to bring Kiss back for a second show! Check out the full article on this info at this location!

Also, here's some more assorted Kiss stories. Frank Rupnik from The Sault Star posted an editorial piece about finding a better way to sell Kiss tickets. Worth a read, he has some good ideas, check it out here! Also, and I apologize for the outdatedness of these articles (again, I don't get the paper), three articles concerning the anticipation for the show and ticket sales can be checked out here (dated October 9-17th.) They're outdated because they mostly talk about the ticket sales that already happened, but they're still worth reading! And finally, if you're gonna complain about Kiss tickets not being available, at least Mayor John Rowswell is on your side! City councillors are reserved two tickets each for every major concert at The Essar Center, but Rowswell knows that this show is in high demand, so he's asking councillors to buy tickets instead through normal means, and return reserved tickets to help demand for the concert. Something tells me Susan Myers would be more than happy to give back her reserved tickets! Check out SooToday's Carol Martin's article on this topic right here!

Speaking of SooToday, Donna Hopper's review and photo album from Sunday's Grady/Domenica concert at The Canadian Nightclub has been posted online! 26 high quality photos have been posted as well, and as I predicted, they're easily better than mine! Great shots! Review's good too, more in-depth than some of Donna's past reviews, it's a good read! Check all of it out at this location!

And finally for today, just some CD review updates for the SMS. I am now the proud owner of Clownsack's debut album, "Rotten Candy"! I got it in the mail yesterday, though it curiously came with no jewel case, yet it had all proper labels and inserts. I plan on making it my next Sault Michigan album review, I'm just not sure when it will be. As well, I'm close to completing my local album wishlist! I found a place online to orderAs It Stands' EP "Kill The Music, Save The Children"! I ordered it, here's hoping that drummer John Mignacca actually sends it out! Also, I contacted Infrastrate frontman Joe Paciocco about getting a copy of "Phase I: Commencement", he's gonna look into getting it sent out! Fingers crossed that I get both albums!

As for this month's review, here's where that stands: Thursday I'm reserving for this weekend's local concert previews, no room for a review. I'll be out of town Friday and Saturday, so my review will be tomorrow! But what album? I don't believe I'll have a copy of either "Never Enough" by Stillbroke or "22" by Sykotyk Rampage" by tomorrow, so here's what I'm gonna do: Stillbroke will be November, as soon as my copy arrives. "Woods IV: The Green Album" will be as soon into December as I feasibly can, and Sykotyk Rampage will be as soon as I can slot it in. I'm not rushing two reviews into a month, that's overkill. So what am I reviewing tomorrow? Let's just say we'll be 12 steps closer to 6 feet under. You fill in the blanks!

That's all for today, CD review tomorrow, local concert previews Thursday, and you better hit the concerts Friday and Saturday! Have a good day, everyone!

Monday, October 26, 2009

Good morning! Time to review last night's Grady concert at The Canadian Nightclub! As well, I have an update to the concert this Friday at The Oddfellows Hall, but first, here's my concert review!

Starting time of 9:00 was inaccurate, but I didn't mind, as I got to see and hear Domenica (the opening band) tuning their sound and getting everything ready, including playing a song to test the speakrs and instruments! When the concert officially started, Domenica had a great set! Frontwoman Bekki Friesen has a good hard rock voice, kinda soulful at times, but heavy when it needs to be! The rest of the band were very solid, some very catchy songs that would fit well on any hard rock station! Some songs were faster than others, some had more of a slower groove, it was all pretty good! I wouldn't label them as the most technically proficient band ever, but they played their songs as well as I could have expected! I'm a fan, and they did a great job!

The wait for Grady was really long, but worth it in the end, as they were awesome! They delivered a great mix of metal and country, perfect music to drink to! And for those of you assuming they have more of a country sound than metal, you obviously haven't heard them. Frontman Gordie Johnson has a good voice with both a Southern flair and a heavy edge, and he's a great guitarist too! He even used steel finger picks and slides to their full effect, which you don't see a lot. Bassist Ben Richardson also played effectively, as did drummer Nina Singh (props to her for her Crank Sound Distribution tanktop!)

However, not everything was perfect. Some songs really seemed to drag, and at times, I could barely hear Gordie's singing over the instruments, but it wasn't as bad as the Sykotyk Rampage show. But that's minor, for it was a fun show! Grady were excellent, and more people definitely should have attended! Also, I gotta say, the cow's skull in front of the drumkit that emitted smoke from it's nostrils was badass! Great merchandise selection too, including different things like keychains, bandanas, and vinyl records! Hopefully Grady come back soon! Now I'm not so bitter that I missed their April 2008 concert when I was a month too young to go!

I took lots of pictures at the show, which you can check out on our official Facebook page! But mine will get trumped, SooToday's Donna Hopper was there taking photos too, her's will be of infinitely better quality than mine, so keep a lookout on SooToday for her review and photos! They'll be way better than mine, trust me!

And finally for today, a major update to an upcoming local concert. North Bay metal band Inflict have officially dropped off of the concert this Friday at The Oddfellows Hall. According to a note from frontman Dan Rogers (which you can view at this location), they dropped off of the show due to not getting confirmation of requested guarantees by the promoters. However, Dan says that the band loves playing here and hope to return soon! Well, that sucks, especially for you guys that are fans of Inflict! I can't make the show anyway, but if I was going, I'd be disappointed! Curiously, the official Facebook event page hasn't removed Inflict from the lineup yet, but that should be updated soon! The lineup now features Sudbury's Upheaval of an Exorcist, with locals Garden of Bedlam, Bring The Fallen, and Out Of The Mouth Of Babes as support! Tickets are still $10 at the door!

That's all for now! 12 straight days with a post now, with 13 posts in that span! We're on pace to pass January of this year as the busiest month in this blog's history! But when you have a lot of news, this kind of stuff happens! Stay tuned for more news and updates in the next day or so! Thanks everyone!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Well, time to offer my thoughts on ANOTHER Kiss concert-related issue. This has came up on a number of sites and forums over the last couple of days, so I figure I should tell you guys what the issue is, and say my opinion on it all.

So Kiss tickets sold out in 6-8 minutes yesterday morning, as I mentioned. But not all tickets went then. There were pre-sales for tickets, as is the case with most major shows at The Essar Center, one of which was held by Rock 101 Friday morning. But alas, not everyone who took advantage of the pre-sales are actually intending to use their purchased tickets to actually see Kiss. No, they're re-selling them, at jacked up prices. According to a new article by SooToday's Carol Martin, various online sites are already selling tickets for the Kiss concert at high prices. The cheapest Kiss tickets available are on Vivid Seats for $156, with tickets going as high as $799 at StubHub. Other sites have tickets in between that range, but nothing lower than $156. Keep in mind, tickets went for just $99.50 through The Essar Center.

It's not just ticket sites either, there's also been tickets on eBay for inflated prices, and even Sault Ontario residents have bought tickets to re-sell at a profit. SooToday's having no part of this, they've began suspending accounts of anyone selling tickets above normal value on their classified section. The Sault Star have also reported on this issue, but their site is down so I can't check it at present. But I've heard a lot of annoyed people that weren't able to get a ticket, and many are blaming scalpers and ticket sites for stealing tickets from real fans. I'm not among them, I was lucky enough to get my ticket online by 10:01 AM, but I'll throw my opinion out there, as I very easily could have been among those of you without a ticket if I was even a minute or so late.

Firstly, this is an issue that happens with most concerts. Whenever there's a major concert here, someone will have tickets for sale somewhere for more than The Essar Center actually charged. You can't completely stop scalping unless you charge everyone at the door, like at some local bar show. But that'd be pandemonium, I can see why they wouldn't do that. People like money and this isn't technically illegal. That's not to say it's right though, because it isn't. There's a lot of people who demanded Kiss come here, and likely a lot more that wanted tickets to this show. Real Kiss fans want these tickets to enjoy one of their favourite bands. It's not every day that a band of this magnitude comes here, and frustration is evident. Yes, making money is good, but why would someone want to bilk extra out of a person just to make a quick buck? It's unfair. If YOU'RE not planning on going, why even bother? If you want money, make it the honest fair way!

Pre-sales are a great idea, especially if you can't get tickets the normal day. But if there's a way to limit sales to those who can prove they actually want to go, they should at least try it. If some guy who works for a ticket site in some far off state is attempting to buy it, some restrictions should be put in place, if nothing else. Doing this to people is unfair. Yes, there's fans who will be willing to pay the extra, but they shouldn't have to be forced into such a situation, because it's unfair! For those of you who wanted a Kiss ticket, but lost out to outside buyers looking for extra cash, here's my suggestion. Keep on the lookout for tickets for sale on SooToday or in the paper closer to the day of the show. The sooner the show is, the more likely someone who can't go will be looking to sell their ticket for cheap. Take advantage of anyone offering a ticket at $100 or less, it might be your only opportunity. If you see someone offering a ticket for more than $100, don't be suckered, your money has better uses. And if there's a contest running on the radio for tickets, enter it! You may win, it's worth a shot! Tickets will open up, just don't give up hope!

Now, onto a couple more news items. First, Half Past drummer Chris Thompson has uploaded a video onto YouTube featuring the band performing a demo version of an original song, entitled "Dead Again"! Very solid song, I'd love to hear it live (and you guys may get the chance to do so on Halloween night at Coch's Corner!) Though it's not on Youtube yet, the band also uploaded another video of their demo version of another original, "War Inside My Head", onto Facebook! I can't embed Facebook videos on here, so check it out at this location! It sounds great too! But for now, check out this clip of "Dead Again"!

And finally, some Woods of Ypres updates! These aren't specifically "new", but David Gold just recently has refreshed everyone's memory to this news! First off, the first 1,000 pre-orders of "Woods IV: The Green Album" will come with a bonus disc! No word on what will be on it, but knowing Woods of Ypres, it should have some awesome stuff! Obviously, there hasn't been 1,000 pre-orders yet (although there deserves to be!), so get your pre-orders in quickly! Get full details on the bonus disc/pre-orders at this location! As well, David's looking to sell his white Gibson SG-3 guitar (the one that says UNREST! on it, picture to the right), as he's looking to sell off some of his unnecessary guitars. This one was used on the "Woods IV" recording! For full details on the guitar sale, visit this location! Remember, to pre-order "Woods IV", send your money via PayPal to woodsofypres@hotmail.com, or via snail mail (with return address) to:

Saturday, October 24, 2009

I've been updating the SMS a lot lately, haven't I? This is actually the 11th post I've made in the last 10 days! Lots of news this month, what can I say? Well, hope you guys are having a good weekend so far! Here's yet another LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!!

Yesterday, I reported that the Sense of Truth concert planned for Halloween at Foggy Notions was cancelled. Well, it didn't take the band long to rebound from that setback! The show must go on, and it will just be moved down the street to Top Hat Billiards! Other than that, this concert is very much the same as the original one! Rage Against The Machine tribute band Renegades (formerly known as Dysfunkshunal Kemistry) will still be supporting Sense of Truth, and this show will take place Halloween night at 10:30 PM! Well, I gotta say, that was quick to reschedule the show, and I wonder how Top Hat will work as a concert venue? I'm not familiar with too many concerts there in general, we'll have to see! Remember guys, you have this show and Frightlight at Coch's Corner to choose from on Halloween, hopefully both will attract great crowds! For more details, and to confirm your attendance, visit the official Facebook event page!

Also, I've placed Top Hat Billiards in the Sault Ontario Concert Venue Info section on the left. I also have temporarily removed Foggy Notions because they won't be open in the next week, but once metal shows are booked there, it'll return!

Next up, I have discovered another local band to share with you guys! They are Weed, a stoner metal band (the name was a giveaway) fronted by In Memorandum/ex-I.S.O.M. frontman Orb Hearthstone! Shift's Tony Rogers is the band's bassist, though I'm not sure who the guitarist is. Orb also handles drumming, a position he also filled in Clownsack and local blues rock band Chord On Bluz! Not a lot bio-wise to speak of on the page, sadly, though marijuana references are in abundance. The band were formed around July 2007, though their MySpace page hasn't been updated since July of this year. Music sounds great, heavy and catchy, and well performed! Orb's a great singer, all his bands are of high quality! I recommend checking these guys out, which you can do at this location!

And finally, let's play a game. Try and guess how fast Kiss tickets sold out this morning. If you said anywhere from 6-8 minutes, you're right! SooToday's Donna Hopper has reported that tickets were wiped out this morning in just 6 minutes, while The Sault Star says they went in 8. Either way, that's insane, though not unexpected! There were apparently 20 people in line at The Essar Center box office at 7:00 this morning, and by 10:06 AM, 25 people had to be turned away because all the tickets reserved for box office sales were already gone! Presales and online/phone tickets also went in a matter of minutes. Read SooToday's article on the Kiss tickets at this location! The Sault Star are also planning a more extensive article on this (including fan interviews) later this weekend, but read their first stuff about the Kiss ticket sale right here! And thanks to me being awake and acting quickly, my ticket's ordered and in the mail! I'll be there, and I'll hope to see you guys there too!

That's all for today, will the consectutive days with posts streak continue tomorrow? Maybe, we'll see! But if nothing else, expect my Grady concert review on Monday! Hope to see you guys at The Canadian Nightclub tomorrow night! Thanks everyone!

Friday, October 23, 2009

Well, Kiss fans, tomorrow's the big day! Tickets officially go on sale for what could be the biggest show in Essar Center history! Sure, you could have gotten pre-sale tickets or snagged some off of Rock 101 giveaways, but tomorrow's when most of you Kiss fans will pick yours up, so as a reminder, here's details!

Tickets are again, $99.50. I know that seems excessive (Why couldn't they charge less for bowl seats?) but when you consider Kiss' huge profile and the magnitude of their stage show, it seems like less of an issue. After all, it's not like the $60 Jackyl show, the band fits the price in this case. Now, tickets go on sale at 10:00 AM tomorrow, but don't go to The Essar Center at 10:00 AM expecting to immediately get a ticket. This is KISS, there is a 100% chance of a substantial lineup. However, you do have other options if you don't feel like standing in line. You can buy tickets tomorrow online as well! However, act quickly, as I'll guarantee you that tickets will go very quickly. If you want to buy online, visit this location, and have your credit card or PayPal account ready! Finally, you can also get your ticket over the phone at 1-866-775-9422!

Whatever you do, make sure to either prepare for a long line, or get your ticket as soon as the clock hits 10, cause they will go very fast! I'll be among those of you buying online, I'm not a morning person and will likely do horrible waiting for hours. Hopefully I'll get a ticket, but I'm prepared for the chance that I won't. We'll see how it goes tomorrow morning! In other ticket-related news, I got my Three Days Grace ticket the other day, so I'll definitely be there on December 8th!

Next up, an upcoming local show has been cancelled. The Sense of Truth concert scheduled for Halloween night at Foggy Notions has been called off. Apparently, Foggy Notions won't be open in time, and if what I've heard is correct, the band jumped the gun in promoting it. That sucks, especially for all you guys hoping to hit this show! I wouldn't have been able to go anyway, but still, damn! Thanks to Sense of Truth bassist Curtis Beauchamp for the information! But hey, look at the bright side, this opens up your Halloween to go see Frightlight at Coch's Corner if you weren't sure what show to hit!

Next up, more updates to Sunday's Grady concert at The Canadian Nightclub. First, a band has been remove from the lineup. Local rock band Wishbone are no longer opening. No reason is given on any event pages, but I've heard it's due to a boycott from other local bands (believe it or not.) Don't know much else details-wise, but it sucks that they had to drop off the show! No replacement has been announced, not sure if one will be. Other than that, nothing about the show has changed, Grady and Domenica will both play Sunday night at 9:00 PM at The Canadian! Also, SooToday have posted an official event page for this concert, which you can view at this location! Lots of good bio information on Grady, check it out! I'll be there Sunday night, review to come on Monday!

And finally for today, Woods of Ypres updates I'm amazed I've missed! Way back in June, frontman David Gold uploaded four preview videos from the recording studio of clips from songs off of their upcoming release "Woods IV: The Green Album"! Definitely some awesome sounding stuff, check them out on Facebook at this location! Also, Woods have unveiled a brand new promotional poster for the album, a picture of which you can view to your right! No word on availability of it for sale, but I'll keep you guys posted!

That's all for tonight, remember to go check out 40 Sons or Tym Morrison tonight, details for those shows can be found in the post below! I'll see you guys Sunday night at The Canadian! Thanks everyone!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

First off, are you wondering why the banner image is referencing Stillbroke? Their new album is out, that's why! Plus, there's three metal concerts in the Sault area this weekend to cover for you guys, all in Sault Ontario, curiously! So here are your local concert previews for this weekend, stay tuned for more on the new Stillbroke EP!

First, at 9:00 PM tomorrow night, Hamilton hard rockers 40 Sons will make their way to Coch's Corner! Admission is free, as is typical at Coch's, just make sure to buy something! 40 Sons will take the stage at around 9:00 PM! No other bands are on the lineup, to my knowledge. 40 Sons aren't bad, they have a radio hard rock kind of sound, the singing stands out to me though! They actually won the Bodog Battle Championship this past year, and have won a bunch of awards for their music! Not a bad band at all, and if you're downtown, why not hit this show? Check out some of 40 Sons' solid original material at their official MySpace page! For a video preview, check out this clip of 40 Sons playing their song "The Weight Of The World" from a show in June!

Meanwhile, there's more metal goodness tomorrow night! Caveman Morrison guitarist Tym Morrison is back for another solo acoustic show, as he returns to The Big Cheese in Heyden, which is just outside of town! Doesn't look like there's a cover here either. Tym will take the stage at 10:00 PM, and promises to play "all your favorite metal, pop, country, hard rock and even classical if ya want it." Two options for you metal lovers tomorrow night if you're looking for live entertainment, and if you wanna support local talent, Tym's your guy! Great guitarist, he plays tons of great songs, and he has good originals too! Check out samples from his debut solo album at this location, and the official event page on Facebook here! I have no videos that I'm capable of embedding on here, but check out some live clips of Tym and Caveman Morrison shows at this link!

And finally, a big hard rock/metal show hits The Canadian Nightclub on Sunday night! Your headliners are Austin Texas "country metal" band Grady! Making their first Sault-area stop since April 2008, this band features former Big Sugar frontman Gordie Johnson, and effectively mix heavy metal with country to create some solid music! Playing support are Winnipeg female-fronted metallers Domenica, who finally play the Sault after two previously scheduled shows were called off. Solid stuff, accessible for normal hard rock fans, but heavy enough for metalheads to headbang to! Local rock band Wishbone were to round out the lineup, but as mentioned in the post above, they have been dropped from the show.

Advance tickets are still available at the front desk of The Knights Inn (a.k.a. the hotel above The Canadian) for $10. If you wait to get them at the door, the price jumps to $15. The show takes place at 9:00 PM Sunday night, and should be a hard rocking good time! Click on each band's name in the above paragraph to check out some of their original material! I plan on being at this show, which will sadly be my last local concert til November (I can't believe I'm missing all the fun over Halloween!) Yes, I'll have some free CDs, and yes, I'll have a review and photo album posted at some point Monday afternoon! Check out more details for this show at one of the three Facebook event pages: Grady's, Wishbone drummer Glen Thomas', and The Canadian's! For a video preview, check out the official music video for Grady's song "Woman Got My Devil"!

And finally, we have a brand new album release from a local metal band! Stillbroke have officially announced via their Facebook page that their debut EP, "Never Enough", is officially available for purchase! Each disc costs just $10, and you can pick up a copy by calling 759-8696, or by messaging the band on Facebook! Excellent news, I can't wait to pick up this album! It also fills in a possible gap in my local review schedule, as I'll review "Never Enough" after I get it either this month or next! All depends on when Sykotyk Rampage releases "22"! Now let's cross our fingers for new Stillbroke shows! Stay tuned for a review of Never Enough in the next couple weeks!

Also, notice the new banner image? Well, I did say I'd have custom banners and logo designs for new local metal albums and major concerts, and unexpectedly, we can begin that tonight, now that Stillbroke have released the album! I'M NOT PLAYING FAVOURITES! I have more custom logos already made up, and stay tuned Wednesday afternoon for the Papa Roach banner and logo!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Assorted news time! No new concerts to report tonight, but I have some show updates to share with you guys! The more information on upcoming concerts, the better! So here's what you need to know! We'll go in order of when the show takes place, with the soonest show first.

First, a few big updates to this Sunday's Grady/Domenica concert at The Canadian Nightclub! A new band have been added to the lineup as openers, and they are local rock band Wishbone! Though not metal, they do feature Route 69 drummer Glen Thomas in their lineup, and have a solid rock sound to them that should mesh well at this show! Wishbone also opened for Grady at their show here last April, and it's nice to see them back for their return!

Also announced are the admission prices! You can get advance tickets at the Knights Inn front desk now for $10! If you wait until the show itself, you will have to pay a $15 cover. Everything starts at 9:00 PM that night now as well. Good thing the poster was unveiled, so all the details have came forward! Want more information on this show? Visit one of the THREE event pages for it! Click here for the event page set up by Grady, here for the one set up by Glen Thomas, and here for the one set up by The Canadian! Between the three, you'll get all the info you'll need! I believe I'll be at this show, I need more local music in my system, especially when I'm gonna miss so much of it over Halloween (damn my luck!)

Next up, a bit more details for the two metal concerts taking place on Halloween night! First, the third band has been announced for the Halloween party at Coch's Corner! They are called "Glamoween", and are referred to on the Facebook event page as a "wicked glamrock tribute"! No idea about these guys otherwise, can anyone help (especially if they're local?) Glamoween will join Frightlight (featuring ex-Fitswitch members) & Half Past (formerly Fingerbone) for this exciting show!

Meanwhile, that same night, Sense of Truth will play at the re-opening of Foggy Notions, and I can now confirm that the opening band for this show, a Rage Against The Machine tribute band named Renegades, are actually the now-renamed Dysfunkshunal Kemistry! I had a feeling it was the same band, but I wasn't prepared to outright say so and risk looking stupid! Thanks to Steve Myers from Sense of Truth for the help! Get more details for this show on Facebook! As I hear more about these two concerts, I'll be sure to share it with you guys! I just wish I'd be in town for them!

Now for an update to November 2nd's Papa Roach concert at Kewadin Casino! I had already mentioned that Oklahoma pop rock band Aranda would be opening at this concert, but they won't be alone! Boston pop rockers Stilrize will also be performing that night! Not metal, but I can see how they'd appeal to Papa Roach's current audience, and fans of Aranda should find something to like. Thanks to the guys at Rock 101 for mentioning Stilrize on the radio, I wouldn't have known they were playing without them! Remember, this concert is at The Dreammakers Theater on November 2nd at 7:00 PM, tickets are available for $26.50 at 1-800-KEWADIN, at this location, and at the GraphixTwo box office on Great Northern Road! And stay tuned to the SMS on Tuesday, I'll launch the Papa Roach banner and logo to count down the week before this show!

And finally for tonight, a pair of concert cancellations. Sault Michigan's own Bad Side have cancelled their December shows at Kewadin Casino, as well as their shows next month in St. Ignace. No reason was given, aside from a re-assurance on Facebook that it's not because of a medical issue. Now, I may be reading way too much into everything, but look at this: Besides the show cancellations, the band posted the statement "Thank You & Good Night!" on their Facebook page, and they say CDs will be available "while supplies last" (Are no new ones being pressed?) This, plus the messages thanking us for the support over the last 5 years, and I'm worried that they might be breaking up or going on hiatus? I sure hope not, cause they're one of my favourite Sault Michigan bands! I'll keep you guys posted if I hear more, hope for the best!

That's all for tonight, stay tuned tomorrow evening for a new post where I'll preview this weekend's metal concerts, including shows featuring Grady, Tym Morrison, and 40 Sons! Thanks everyone!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Well guys, the Halloween weekend just keeps getting better and better! Yet another LOCAL CONCERT ALERT to share tonight, so here's what you need to know (so far!)

I'd heard scattered news about this show for a while now, and I have enough information to finally share it with you guys! On Halloween night, Coch's Corner will get into the spirit of the season with a special Halloween concert! Headlining are a NEW local band named Frightlight, who feature former Fitswitch members J.D. Pearce, Rick White, and Larry Mousseau in their lineup! But don't call this a Fitswitch reunion, this is an entirely different band! Frightlight are a horror movie themed punk/metal band! I've heard the band will play just horror movie themes and originals based on horror movies! Plus, they're hyping "a crazy stage show, coffins, lights, smoke, all sorts of crap", which should be very interesting! (Source of that quote is located here.) Sounds really cool, hopefully they deliver! I just hope they aren't a seasonal band and will play shows past Halloween, I really wanna check them out!

Now that sounds intriguing already, but there's more! Also on the lineup: Local hard rock band Half Past, playing their first show since December (when they were still named Fingerbone!) It's been a long time coming, and it's great to see them back on stage! The Facebook event page also hypes a third band that hasn't been officially named yet. I heard it would be a glam metal band, but there's been no word other than that yet. Once I hear more, I'll let you guys know! As for show details, it will be at Coch's Corner Halloween night at 10:00 PM! Unlike most shows there, you will have to pay a $4 cover charge (trust me, it will be worth it!) Confirm your attendance on Facebook for what should be a scary good time! And I now have Frightlight in the local metal band links to your left!

You know something? This truly is one of the best metal concert weekends of the year! There's this major Halloween show, the return of Foggy Notions with Sense of Truth on the same night, Upheaval of an Exorcist's return to the Sault with Garden of Bedlam and many others on the Friday, plus Absolute, Nixxon Dixxon, and Shift playing two shows each over Halloween weekend in Sault Michigan! I just wish I would be in town to enjoy this great weekend of shows! What horrible timing for my Detroit trip! Ah well, hopefully I'll get to see all these bands real soon once I return! And you guys, make sure you all make it to at least one of these shows! Halloween weekend's gonna be flooded with metal awesomeness, don't try and avoid it!

Finally for tonight, just a quick update from Sault Michigan's own Bad Side! They're officially thanking their fans for their support over the past five years, as the band have recently reached their fifth anniversary! That's a nice gesture, and as a fan, you're quite welcome! You don't tend to hear local bands mention their personal anniversaries much, but when they do, they generally are very respectful to their fans for helping them succeed, which is awesome! The band have made up some pics thanking us, one you can see on the left, the other, you can check out on MySpace! Here's to another 5 years of rocking, I can't wait for the new album!

More news on the horizon in the next while, I'll keep you guys posted with any news and updates as I hear them! Thanks everyone!